Rom and the whale of dreams

Teacher Overview

This is a magical story that will quickly become a classic amongst children. The quality of the app is fantastic and we can tell that create care has been taken to achieve an app that will enchant generations. The app receives an EAS Certification of 5 Stars and EAS Recommended Status.

Teacher Review

Rom and the Whale tells the story of a young boy (called Rom) who is the son of the Gypsy Kind and Queen of Numia. Rom begins to dream about a magical whale creature at night and he is mystified as to what it means. To add to the mystery, no one from the Kingdom of Numia has had a dream in over 1000 years! So, what does it all mean? Rom, who is quite a curious boy, decides to travel to distant lands in order to solve the mystery - and so, the adventure begins.

The story is magical and beautiful to read. We can tell that the team that has created this app has people who are each specialised in their own area but, who work together very well to craft a magical experience for the end-user.

As with the story, the illustrations are all original and have been crafted by an award-winning illustrator. We love the fact that on each page, you can tap on the illustration and you can discover an animation or, you can tap to move an object or colour the page. The music has been especially composed and helps to create an enchanting ambience.

A fantastic feature of the app is that it is tri-lingual and helps to further reading and vocabulary learning. You can have the story in English, Chinese and Spanish and then choose a translation to accompany the text. This is particularly helpful if you are learning one of these languages. Furthermore, you can have the story read to you in the language of the “Main Text” (English, Spanish and Chinese).

We really enjoyed seeing the little ‘drop-down’ feature on each page that goes through the different vocabulary in the three different languages so that you learners can read, learn and commit to memory if they so wish. A fantastic addition to this app has to be that when you tap on the word, you can hear its pronunciation. Good stuff! Overall, this feature would have fabulous usage amongst parents (or teachers) and the learners. Children can read alone and then be tested on the different words.

We absolutely loved this app and we hope that it will be enjoyed by the parents, grand-parents, teachers and children of today, well as those of the future!

Subjects

Safeguarding

Screenshots

Developer Description

*****Featured as one of the BEST NEW APPS & GAMES in the Apple Store!!!!
***Parents' Choice Award***
***Awarded a Kirkus Review's STAR***
***5 stars & “App of the Week”
***5 stars in Originality -Digital Storytime

"What child doesn’t love a great story? Great stories never grow old! This is one book app that will never grow old, children will return to this amazing story again and again. It’s worthy of a Newbury for its drop dead gorgeous collage like illustrations and its subtle yet intriguing interactivity." -Teachers with apps
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Belmontis presents “Rom and the whale of dreams,” the first in a series of multilingual storybook apps for young readers (5-10 years old) and language students!

*** English, Spanish and Chinese ***

Magical and engaging… this story will delight children and parents alike!

“In a land where no one dreams, Rom - a gypsy prince – dreams of a strange creature: a whale with lion’s paws and butterfly wings. Convinced that the animal exists, Rom travels to strange lands in search of it…”

Check out our video trailer for a quick preview: http://youtu.be/Z4I4bo9xesg

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App features:

•25 pages of beautiful text, illustrations and musical scores crafted by award-winning artists across the globe.

•Narrated in English, Spanish and Chinese + ‘Read-to-Myself’ option.

•Designed to engage: drag, tap, swipe to DISCOVER animation on every page.

•Learn new languages with additional features including integrated on-page translation and multilingual vocabulary/expressions section with audio.

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Protecting our children: Our app

•does not include in-app purchases, push-notifications or third-party ads.

•does not include feedback links, app-store links or links to our website/social media within the app.

If you are experiencing any difficulties with the app and/or have any suggestions on how to improve it, please contact support@romandthewhale.com

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More reviews:

"Rom & the Whale of Dreams exceeds expectations for its literary elements (such as rich vocabulary and well-crafted dialogue) as well as its technical and creative excellence." -Fun educational apps

"Rom and the Whale of Dreams...beckons young readers with an invitation to read, listen, and explore. The art direction, graphic and sound design, narration, and inventive use of animation techniques are beautifully integrated. This delicate work is elegant and enchanting, mystical and magical." -Parents' Choice Award

"Illustrations are spectacular and it is a great way to expose children to multiple languages as well." -The iMums

“While there are plenty of stories available for kids, not all are created equal and not all capture the attention and imagination of their readers…” -AppPicker

“Readers of all ages will enjoy this mystical storybook… The narration and illustrations pull you in right from the beginning.”-Best Apps for Kids

"I predict Prince Rom and the Whale of Dreams will be an award-winning iPad story. It’s not just a magical story, but the illustrations and the navigation both are excellent. I highly recommend this app." -Melissa Taylor, PBS Kids VIP Blogger 2012

"With an incredible story, eye-catching illustrations, and subtle interactivity, this is definitely among the best storybooks for kids available on the Apple App Store that will encourage the little ones to use their imagination. The collage-like illustrations, the dreamy story, and the mesmerizing background music will make all young readers want to come back and live the experience again and again." -Top Kids Apps

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Visit our website: www.romandthewhale.com
Follow us on Twitter: @Romandthewhale
Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/RomandtheWhale